Systems and methods for providing change of address services over a network

ABSTRACT

This disclosure describes systems and methods for collecting and processing change of address data and providing change of address services to a customer using a computer network. The address data can include a physical address, an electronic address, or both. The systems and methods may also provide additional services to the customer to assist in changing addresses.

I. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to systems and methods for providingchange of address services to a customer. More particularly, theinvention relates to systems and methods for collecting and processingchange of address data and providing change of address services to apostal customer using a computer network.

B. Description of the Related Art

The United States Postal Service (USPS) is an independent governmentagency that provides mail delivery and other services to the public. TheUSPS delivers mail using a recipient's address on a mailpiece. If theaddress is incomplete or incorrect, mail delivery is delayed, and theUSPS incurs labor and financial costs in forwarding the mailpiece to thecorrect address. Inaccurate addresses adversely affect the postalcustomer, the USPS, and the mailing industry.

Approximately forty million postal customers move each year, and eachmove may require a change in a postal customer's mailing address.Traditionally, a moving postal customer must complete, sign, and submita change of address form to the USPS. The change of address form cannotbe processed until the postal customer signs the form, because thesignature provides authorization and orders the USPS to forward thecustomer's mail to the new address. Because this process relies on aphysical form, it is labor intensive. The customer must sign the formand mail or carry it to a post office. USPS personnel must manuallyprocess the form, including data entry of the change of addressinformation.

It is therefore desirable to enable postal customers to receive mailforwarding services and to notify potential mailers of a new address ina fast, efficient, and accurate manner. At the same time, moreover, itis desirable to preserve the identity validation and authorization ofthe customer.

II. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Systems and methods consistent with the present invention overcome theshortcomings of conventional systems by collecting and processing changeof address data, including identity validation, using an electronicnetwork. Furthermore, systems consistent with the present inventionprovide change of address services, such as change of addressnotification, to the customer via the electronic network.

In an embodiment of the invention, a method for providing an electronicchange of address service from an old address of a customer to a newaddress of the customer may include providing a user interface at achange of address server for the customer to enter change of addressinformation, receiving the change of address information at the changeof address server via a network, validating an identity of the customerat the change of address server; and processing the change of addressinformation electronically when the identity is valid to enable thecustomer to receive mail addressed to the old address of the customer atthe new address of the customer.

Exemplary systems and methods consistent with the present invention arerecited in the attached claims. It is to be understood that both theforegoing general description and the following detailed description areexemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention,as claimed.

III. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute apart of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and,together with the following description, serve to explain the principlesof the invention. In the drawings:

FIGS. 1A and 1B are general block diagrams illustrating a systemconsistent with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a customer submitting a change ofaddress request in the prior art change of address system operated bythe USPS;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the prior art change of addresssystem operated by the USPS;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating in greater detail the nationaladdress correction services handled by the prior art USPS change ofaddress system;

FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating in greater detail the customerchange of address correspondence handled by the prior art USPS change ofaddress system;

FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating a customer change of addresssystem consistent with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a flow chart relating to uploading change of addressinformation into the local database of the CFS unit, consistent with anembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating the ICOA server, consistent withan embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating the ICOA server, consistent withanother embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating an Online Identity ValidationSystem, consistent with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 11 is a flow chart relating to processing a credit card basedidentity validation, consistent with an embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 12 is a block diagram illustrating the Value Added Services,consistent with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 13 is a flow chart of the various methods for offering value addedservices to a customer, consistent with an embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating aspects of value added services;

FIG. 15 is a flow chart relating to new address notification servicesfrom the value added services menu, consistent with an embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 16 is a flow chart relating to providing a customer drivennotification system, consistent with an embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 17 is a flow chart relating to selecting recipients from apre-constructed list presented by the ICOA interface in a customerdriven notification system, consistent with an embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 18 is a block diagram illustrating an additional value addedservice, a customer establishing a personal USPS electronic account orvirtual account, consistent with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 19 is flow chart relating to performing a value-added e-mailforwarding service, consistent with an embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIGS. 20A and 20B are block diagrams illustrating a change of e-mailaddress system, consistent with an alternative embodiment of the presentinvention; and

FIG. 21 is a block diagram illustrating the different sub-processeswithin the consolidation process shown in FIGS. 20A and 208.

IV. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIGS. 1A and 1B are general block diagrams, illustrating a systemconsistent with an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1A, apostal customer (101) relocates from physical address A (102) tophysical address B (103) Postal customer (101) could be anyone whoreceives mail through the United States Postal Service (USPS), forexample, an individual, a family, a household, or a business. Typically,postal customer (101) wishes to stop receiving mail at physical addressA (102) and begin receiving mail at physical address B (103).

In FIG. 1B, user (104) changes e-mail addresses from e-mail address A(105) to e-mail address B (106). User (104) could be anyone with ane-mail address, for example, an individual, a household, a business,etc. The change in e-mail address could result from a decision to changee-mail providers, a change in jobs or schools, or a number of otherreasons. Typically, user (104) wishes to stop receiving e-mail at e-mailaddress A (105) and begin receiving e-mail at e-mail address B (106).

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a customer submitting a change ofaddress request in a prior art change of address system operated by theUSPS. The system may include a postal customer (101), a PS Form 3575(202), a PS Form 3575WWW (202), a network (214), a USPS Form Server(215), and a Post Office (213). When postal customer (101) changes fromphysical address A to physical address B, as described in FIG. 1A above,postal customer (101) may complete PS Form 3575 (202) or PS Form 3575WWW(202). Form 3575 is a paper form that can be obtained from a Post Office(213) or other location. Alternatively, Form 3575WWW (202) is a formavailable electronically by connecting to USPS Form 3575WWW Server (215)via network (214), such as the Internet. Form 3575 (202) and Form3575WWW (202) request the same information. Namely, both Form 3575 andForm 3575WWW request customer (101) to provide change of addressinformation including name, old address A, new address B, effectivemoving date, whether the move is temporary or permanent, and whether themove is for an individual, family, or business. Regardless of howcustomer (101) obtains and completes Form 3575 or 3575WWW, customer(101) (or an authorized representative of the customer for the move)must physically sign the completed form and physically mail or carry itto a Post Office (213). For example, customer (101) must print, sign,and submit Form 3575WWW by mail or hand deliver the paper to a PostOffice (213).

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the prior art change of addresssystem operated by the USPS. FIG. 3 depicts the change of address system(50) may include a postal customer (101), Form 3575 or 3575WWW (202), aPostmaster for the area of the old address A (303), a delivery unit foraddress A (304), a Computerized Forwarding System (CFS) unit for addressA (305), a local database for address A (306), transmit files (307), aNational Customer Support Center (NCSC) (308), a national database(309), national address correction services (310), USPS internaloperations (311), and customer change of address correspondence (312).Once the physical form (i.e., either the 3575 or the 3575WWW) isreceived at Post Office (213), it is delivered to Postmaster for thearea of the old address A (303).

Postmaster for address A (303) gives the form to a delivery unit foraddress A (304). Delivery unit for address A (304) may include the mailcarrier assigned to deliver mail to the customer's old address A.Delivery unit for address A (304) passes the form to a ComputerizedForwarding System (CFS) Unit for address A (305). It is here that thechange of address information from the form is first introduced into acomputer. The customer's change of address information is enteredmanually into a local database for address A (306). There areapproximately 220 CFS units with local databases in the areas served bythe USPS (i.e., throughout the United States).

The local database for address A (306) creates transmit files (307)containing the customer's change of address information, and sends thosefiles to a central processing system, e.g., the National CustomerSupport Center (NCSC) (308). NCSC (308) collects customer change ofaddress information from all CFS units/local databases into a nationaldatabase (309). Several different functions are served from NCSC (308)and the national database (309), including address correction services(310), USPS internal operations (311), and customer change of addresscorrespondence (312). National address correction services (310) andcustomer change of address correspondence (312) are described in greaterdetail below with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5, respectively.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating in greater detail the nationaladdress correction services handled by the prior art USPS change ofaddress system. National address correction services (310) offered bythe USPS include pre-mailing address correction services, such asNational Change of Address (NCOA) (401), and FASTforward^(SM) (402), andpost-mailing address correction services, such as address change service(ACS) (403). Both types of address correction services correct,standardize, and provide ZIP+4 coding for an address received by theUSPS from a member of the public. However, as the names suggest, thepre-mailing services correct an address before a mailer mails a mailingpiece, and the post-mailing services corrects an address after themailer mails a mailing piece.

Another difference between the pre-mailing services and post-mailing isthe entity administering the service. Specifically, USPS commerciallicensees (404) offer pre-mailing services, such as National Change ofAddress (NCOA) (401), and FASTforward^(SM) (402). Members of the mailingindustry (405) may submit mailing lists to the licensees (404), who useUSPS provided data to correct the given addresses. In contrast, the USPSdirectly administers post-mailing services, such as address changeservice (ACS) (403), after a mailer sends a mail piece.

Although the USPS cannot release names and addresses of postal customersto the public, the USPS can correct an address received from a member ofthe public, such as a mailing company, as described above. These andother USPS services rely on accurate addresses. Thus, the efficiency andcost savings of these services are necessarily limited by the speed andaccuracy of the address updating process.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating in greater detail the customerchange of address correspondence handled by the prior art USPS change ofaddress system. The customer change of address correspondence (312)includes the documents received and submitted by the customer in theUSPS change of address system (50), such as a Mover's Guide™ (501), amove validation letter (MVL) (503), and a customer notification letter(CNL) (505) or a Welcome Kit™ (504). Customer (101) may obtain Mover'sGuider™ (501) from a Post Office or other source, The Mover's Guide™contains Form 3575 (202) and may include other papers to assist customer(101) in the process of moving. As the USPS change of address systemprocesses Form 3575, the customer receives a move validation letter(MVL) (503) at old address A. MVL (503) confirms a change of addressrequest to forward mail as submitted in Form 3575. Additionally, the MVLhelps to detect the fraudulent submission of change of addressinformation. Customer (101) also receives either a customer notificationletter (CNL) (505) or a Welcome Kites™ (504) at new address B. CNL (505)informs the customer of the old and new address information that theUSPS has recorded and confirms that the USPS has processed this changeof address information. The Welcome Kit™ includes the same informationas the CNL and may also include other papers to assist the customer inthe process of moving.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating a customer change of addresssystem consistent with an embodiment of the present invention. Thesystem may include a postal customer (601), a network (602), an InternetChange of Address (ICOA) Server (603), Value Added Services (604), aPostmaster for the area of the old address A (609), a delivery unit foraddress A (608), a Computerized Forwarding System (CFS) unit for addressA (606), a local database for address A (607), a National CustomerSupport Center (NCSC) (605), customer change of address correspondence(613), a national database (610), national address correction services(611), and USPS internal operations (612). FIG. 6 depicts a postalcustomer (601) arriving at ICOA server (603) via network connection(602). Value added services (604) may be offered from a separate entity(as shown) or may be incorporated within the ICOA server (603). Valueadded services (604) may include connected services described in greaterdetail below with respect to FIG. 12.

Similarly, ICOA server (603) may be incorporated within NCSC (605) oralternatively may be located in a separate USPS data facility (as shown)with a connection to NCSC (605). Customers electronically provide changeof address information (i.e., to change a physical address and/or ane-mail address) over network (602) to ICOA server (603). ICOA server(603) captures and transmits this information as necessary throughoutthe system to execute the various features and functions describedlater.

Fundamentally, ICOA server provides change of address information (i.e.,physical address data and/or e-mail address data) to NCSC (605), andNCSC transmits the data throughout the system to CFS/FCS unit (606),national address correction services (611), national USPS databases(610), other USPS internal operations (612), and customer change ofaddress correspondence (613), NCSC routes physical change of addressdata through a download operation to the CFS/FCS unit (606) thatservices the address from which the customer is moving (address A).CFS/FCS unit (606) is one of a multitude of computer system siteslocated across the continental United States, Alaska, Hawaii and PuertoRico. CFS/FCS unit (606) automatically downloads the transmittedinformation and stores it in a local database (607). The CFS unit usesthe change of address information to provide hard copy change of addressnotifications on physical mail pieces and forwarding undeliverable mailpieces.

CFS unit (606) then sends the change of address information to adelivery unit (608) and the postmaster (or Post Office) (609) thatservices the customer's old address A. When the change of address,information reaches the local level (address A), the Postal Service canconduct address notification and forwarding operations at the locallevel. By capturing and processing change of address informationcompletely electronically, the USPS avoids the laborious hard copy dataentry operation. Thus, the ICOA system of the USPS achieves tremendoussavings both in cost and processing time, thereby providing informationmore quickly to the USPS, the mailing community, and various entitiestherein.

NCSC also routes the change of address information to national addresscorrection services (611), USPS national databases (610), customerchange of address correspondence (613), and other USPS internaloperations systems (612). The customer change of address correspondence(613) may include a move validation letter (MVL), a customernotification letter (CNL), and a Welcome Kit™ generation activities. TheICOA system provides an additional channel for change of addressinformation to reach all the systems depicted in this diagram. Unlikethe traditional hard copy change of address cards as explained above,the ICOA system allows information to come in via a network, e.g., theInternet, at a much lower cost and with a higher degree of efficiencywhile enabling a wide variety of value added services for movingcustomers.

FIG. 7 is a flow chart relating to uploading change of addressinformation into the local database of the CFS unit, consistent with anembodiment of the present invention. In stage 1, the customer enterschange of address information via a network (602) into the ICOA server(603). In stage 2, an ICOA base record is created by the ICOA recordcreate process on the ICOA server (603). In stage 3, the base ICOArecord is sent to the NCSC (605), where a central ICOA record processwould ensue upon the base ICOA record. In the central ICOA recordprocess, the base ICOA record is modified and sorted as needed foruploading to the appropriate CFS site. In stage 5, the resulting CFSICOA record is transmitted to the appropriate CFS unit and a CFS ICOAupload process occurs to automatically upload the CFS ICOA record intothe local database.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating ICOA server (603), consistentwith an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 shows that ICOAserver (603) may comprise a user interface (801) and an Online IdentityValidation System (802) for filing a change of address over theInternet. User interface (801) is a web site that customer (601)encounters upon arriving at the ICOA server via network (602). Userinterface (801) may include a set of graphical interfaces and text thatare created as appropriate to allow the customer to navigate theWebsite, provide change of address information, and select features andservices. First and foremost, user interface (801) enables the user tofile an electronic change of address via the ICOA system. The OnlineIdentity Validation System (802), which is further defined below in FIG.10, enables a completely online process and helps protect customersagainst fraudulent changes of address.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating the ICOA server, consistent withanother embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, theOnline Identity Validation System (802) may use a third party verifier(901) to validate a customer's identity rather than having a whollyinternal USPS function as shown in FIG. 8. For example, a credit cardbased identity validation process could involve a third-party creditcard company, as described below with reference to FIGS. 11 and 12.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating an Online Identity ValidationSystem, consistent with an embodiment of the present invention. As shownin FIG. 10, Online Identity Validation System (802) may include adigital certificate process (1001), a credit card based identityvalidation process (1002), a government entity ID process (1003), auniversity ID process (1004), and other validation processes (1005).Each of the above items may be used alone or in combination to performan identity validation process. For example, digital certificate process(1001) is a Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) based digital certificatethat the ICOA server may use to validate the identity of the individualwho is filing a change of address. The digital certificate may be issuedby the USPS or, alternatively, provided by another vendor. The USPSwould recognize whether the digital certificate presented by thecustomer is one that is valid and recognized by the USPS as authorizedfor this purpose.

Rather than comparing a stored digital certificate to identify acustomer, the ICOA system may compare credit card information entered bythe customer using credit card based identity validation process (1002)(described in more detail below with reference to FIG. 11).Additionally, a government identification using an approved governmentidentity ID process (1003), an approved university identification usinguniversity ID process (1004), or other validation processes (1005) maybe used to validate a customer's identity. Examples of government entityID process (1003) may include the Social Security Administrationknowledge based system, a veterans identification system, or othersystems that identify a person using government information or a seriesof government information. University ID process (1004) is a processthat the Postal Service may initiate with major universities in theUnited States. The University ID process may obtain student ID numbers,issued by the universities, from an interrogation of a school's files.The University ID process may accept code words and the student IDs tovalidate a personal identity. One skilled in the art can readilyappreciate that a whole spectrum of other validation processes (1005)may be available in the future for the ICOA system to use for identityvalidation. For example, other validation processes could includeretinal scans, biometric processes, etc.

FIG. 11 is a flow chart relating to processing a credit card basedidentity validation process, consistent with an embodiment of thepresent invention. In stage 1, a customer files change of addressinformation by entering the information with a personal computer andsubmitting it to the ICOA system over a network, such as the Internet.This information may include the following: name, old address or theaddress from which the customer is moving, new address or the address towhich the customer is moving, the effective date of the move, the movetype, whether the move is permanent or temporary, and whether the moveis for an individual, a family or a business.

In stage 2, the customer may submit the following credit cardinformation to the ICOA system over the Internet: billing address,credit card name, credit card type, account number, the expiration date,and e-mail address. If the customer chooses not to enter or submit theirchange of address information via the Internet by entering credit cardinformation, then the customer may complete the PS Form 3575WWW on acomputer connected to a PS Form Server 3575WWW via a network. As before,the customer may print and execute the completed form, and mail or handcarry it to a local Post Office.

In stage 3, the ICOA server compares the information entered in stage 2to an internal fraud database residing on the server. The internal frauddatabase may be built over time to include the credit card numbers ofcredit cards that have been used fraudulently. In stage 4, the ICOAsystem performs credit card address verification and credit cardintelligence verification through a third party credit card verifier.For credit card address verification, the third party credit cardverifier provides information to the ICOA server indicating whether thebilling address entered by the customer matches the address on file withthe third party credit card verifier. For the credit card intelligenceverification, the third party credit card verifier returns a code to theICOA server indicating whether credit card is valid. Specifically, thethird party credit card verifier uses a credit card based identityvalidation system comprising artificial intelligence and an algorithm toverify the credit card information. If both the credit card addressverification and the credit card intelligence verification succeed, thethird party credit card verifier sends a confirmation to the ICOAserver.

If the internal fraud check, the credit card address verification, andthe credit card intelligence verification all succeed, then in stage 5,the ICOA server sends an e-mail confirmation notification to thecustomer using the e-mail address provided by the customer in stage 2.The ICOA system requires a customer response within 24-hours of receiptof the notification. If the customer does not respond within thespecified time, then the ICOA system sends a second notification, givingthe customer an additional 24-hours to respond. If the customer respondsby sending a customer e-mail confirmation (stage 6), then the change ofaddress is accepted and added to the Postal Service address correctionservices and other internal operations in stage 7. Otherwise, if thecustomer does not respond to either of the two e-mail notifications,then the change of address request is not accepted.

In stage 7, the NCSC sends the change of address information throughoutthe ICOA system. Specifically, NCSC sends the change of addressinformation to the customer change of address correspondence system. Thecustomer change of address correspondence system mails a move validationletter to the old address or the address from which the customer ismoving. NCSC also adds the change of address information to the PostalService national address correction services and the USPS internaloperations,

FIG. 12 is a block diagram illustrating the Value Added Services,consistent with an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG.12, Value Added Services (604) of FIG. 6 may include new addressnotification services (1201), household services (1202), moving services(1203), e-mail forwarding services (1204), government informationservices (1205), tools (1206), purchasing services (1207), financialservices (1208), establish USPS electronic account (1209), referralservices (1210), and other services (1211). New address notificationservices (1201), described in more detail later, allow customers toprovide individual addresses or address lists, so that notifications canbe provided to those listed. Household services (1202) may includenotifying local and long distance phone services, cable services,utility companies, or subscriptions to newspapers or magazines to beginor stop service at a particular address. Moving services (1203) mayinclude various moving services, such as ordering packing supplies orscheduling a moving truck. E-mail forwarding services (1204), which willbe described later, allow a customer to forward e-mail to a newelectronic address. Government information services (1205) may providegovernment information for a geographical area to customers. Forexample, customers may use government information services (1205) togather forms or information on voter registration in a new area, orinformation on Department of Motor Vehicle for registration of theirvehicles.

Tools (1206) may include various tools, such as an electronic furniturearranger and a week-by-week moving timeline. Purchasing service (1207)may include a service for making any purchases, such as pet supplies orfurniture. The purchasing service may deliver the purchases to thecustomer at the new address or the old address. Financial services(1208) may include online banking services and other financial services.Establish USPS electronic account (1209), which will be described later,allows customers to create an electronic account with the U.S. PostalService. Referral service (1210) may include a service for making anyreferral for a geographical area. Examples of possible referrals mayinclude doctor referrals, contractor referrals, etc. One skilled in theart will readily appreciate that other services (1211) may also beprovided to assist a customer in all aspects of moving to a new address.

For example, in one embodiment, other services (1211) may include aservice for re-establishing contact with a customer who has moved. Thecontact re-establishment service may include a database of archivedchange of address information that spans several years. After receivinga request from a user to re-establish contact with a customer who hasmoved, the service may search the database for the most currentelectronic or physical address for the customer who has moved. Theservice then may forward an electronic or hardcopy message to thecustomer at that address containing the user's contact information (suchas an electronic or physical return address). Thus, the customer who hasmoved may choose to contact the user or retain his privacy.

Another value added service may include a contact establishment service.The contact establishment service allows a commercial entity to forwardelectronic advertising mail messages to aggregate regionally selectedcustomers who have moved. The electronic advertising mail message mayinclude a reply address and an option of selecting whether to receivesubsequent messages. This option may be offered to the customer forselected companies or for a collective group of companies.Alternatively, the customer may indicate on a change of address request,for example, whether he wants to receive electronic advertisements froma particular company or group of companies.

FIG. 13 is a flow chart of the various methods for offering value addedservices to a customer, consistent with an embodiment of the presentinvention. In one method for offering value added services, the ICOAserver may link the customer to an outside web site or other locationvia the network (stage 1302) when the customer chooses a value addedservice (stage 1301). For example, the customer could be linked to a website selling furniture or moving supplies. In another method, if thecustomer chooses, the ICOA server may create a record (stage 1303) usingthe change of address information. The ICOA server, if needed, maycollect any supplemental information (stage 1304) (e.g., social securitynumber, account number, etc.) specified by the service (stage 1305) andthen transmit the record and the supplemental information to theservice, e.g., a utility company (stage 1306). In yet anotheralternative method, the ICOA server may host a web site on behalf of aservice (e.g., portals, affiliates, etc.) (stage 1307).

FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating aspects of value added services. Asshown in FIG. 14, some value added services can be offered to a customeronly after the customer's identity is validated, or, alternatively, thatcertain value added services can be offered regardless of identityvalidation.

FIG. 15 is a flow chart relating to new address notification servicesfrom the value added services menu, consistent with an embodiment of thepresent invention. If a customer chooses the new address notificationservices from the value added services menu (stage 1501), the customermay provide the addresses for recipients the customer wishes to benotified and/or select the recipients from a pre-determined list ofrecipients, e.g., magazines, catalogs, etc. If the customer chooses toprovide the recipient names and/or addresses, the addresses can beeither electronic addresses (stage 1502), e.g., e-mail addresses, orphysical addresses (stage 1503). The customer could also upload amailing list of names and/or addresses (i.e., electronic address orphysical addresses). The customer can also specify a notification methodfor each recipient (stage 1504), such as electronic notification ornotification by mail. Additionally, a user interface could be presentedto the customer listing pre-selected companies (stage 1505) and the usercould indicate one or more of the pre-selected companies to be notified(stage 1506), e.g., using radio buttons or drop-down lists. Afterselecting all of the recipients to be notified, customer drivennotification is provided (stage 1507), as shown in FIGS. 16 and 17.

FIG. 16 is a flow chart relating to providing a customer drivennotification system, consistent with an embodiment of the presentinvention. As shown in FIG. 16, a customer driven notification systemfrom the value added services may include ICOA server (603), a change ofaddress notification server or service (1602), and a recipient of thenotification (1603). ICOA server (603) is the same ICOA server describedearlier. Change of address (COA) notification server (1602) may belocated on the ICOA server or may exist as a separate bank of servers.Alternatively, COA notification server may be a separate service, forexample, the U.S. Postal Service Mailing Online hybrid mailing service,or a separate contractor that prints the mail piece notifications and/orconfigures and sends e-mail notifications. Recipient (1603) may includemultiple recipients.

In stage 1, the ICOA server sends the change of address information andthe recipient address information entered by the customer in the ICOAsystem to the COA notification server or service (1602). The COAnotification server may send an e-mail notification to the recipient'se-mail address (stage 2) or a physical mail piece notification to thephysical address of the recipient (stage 3).

FIG. 17 is a flow chart relating to selecting recipients from apre-constructed list presented by the ICOA interface in a customerdriven notification system, consistent with an embodiment of the presentinvention. As shown in FIG. 17, a customer driven notification systemmay include ICOA server (603), a notification fulfillment database(1702), a company (1703), and a record (1704). Notification fulfillmentdatabase (1702) may be located on ICOA server (603) or COA notificationserver (1602) described in FIG. 16. Notification fulfillment databasecontains records for all of the companies (e.g., various catalogs,magazines, companies, etc.) that have been listed on the graphical userinterface (801) for a customer's possible selection. Company (1703)represents a recipient company that will receive the notification.Record (1704) shims in some detail the construction of the specificrecord that identifies company (1703).

In FIG. 17, the ICOA server sends a selection record to the notificationfulfillment database (stage 1). The selection record contains a recordof the customer selections from the pre-determined list of companiesdisplayed by the graphical user interface. From the selection record,notification fulfillment database may identify and tag the companies tobe notified and route notification records as appropriate. To identifyand tag the companies, the database may assign a unique identifier toeach company. Further, to route the notification records, the databasemay assign to each company any company-specific data needed to enablethe notifications. Stage 2 shows the database sending the notificationsto the company via, e.g., e-mail, FTP, batch file, hard copy, standardInternet protocol, XML, etc. Notification may or may not be an encryptedform as needed.

FIG. 18 is a block diagram illustrating an additional value addedservice, a customer establishing a personal USPS electronic account orvirtual account, consistent with an embodiment of the present invention.As shown in FIG. 18, a system for establishing a personal USPSelectronic account may include ICOA server (603) and an InternetCustomer Registration System (ICRS) (1803). ICRS (1803) is a separateU.S. Postal Service initiative. As part of the value added services, theICOA server (603) and the graphical interface (801) therein (describedabove in FIG. 8) may offer the customer the opportunity to have apersonal USPS electronic account established after the customer hasconducted their primary business on the ICOA platform. The establishmentof this USPS electronic account would open an entire suite of electronicservices. The ICOA server (603) may create a data record with thecustomer-specific information previously provided and transmit it toICRS (1803). ICRS (1803) then may interact with the customer directly toestablish an USPS account. The customer may also submit a request for achange of address from an old address to a new address and utilize thevalue added services via the ICRS system to the ICOA server.

FIG. 19 is flow chart relating to performing a value-added e-mailforwarding service, consistent with an embodiment of the presentinvention. As shown in FIG. 19, the value added e-mail forwardingservice may include, in part, a customer (1901) named Erika, USPSInternal Operations (1902), USPS Internet Change of Address (ICOA)server (1903), Value-Added New Address Notification Services (1904), oldand new service provider record (1905), deflector record (1906), mappingrecord (1907), old e-mail service provider (1908), deflector directory(1911), USPS e-mail forwarding service (1909), and ISP2 (1910). ICOAserver (1903) may consist of one or multiple computer systems. USPSInternal Operations (1902), USPS Internet Change of Address (ICOA)server (1903), Value-Added New

Address Notification Services (1904), and USPS e-mail forwarding service(1909) are described above using different reference numerals.

Erika (1901) provides the required information to the ICOA server viathe network to change her e-mail address. Erika (1901) may or may not bechanging her physical address also. After receiving the requiredinformation from Erika, the ICOA server creates three basic levels ofrecords: 1.) old and new service provider record (1905), 2.) deflectorrecord (1906), and 3.) mapping record (1907).

Old and new service provider record (1905) identifies the old e-mailservice provider and the new e-mail service provider (e.g., a from andto address or an old and new address): Deflector record (1906) containsthe address of the old e-mail address provider and a specific address ata USPS e-mail forwarding service, in this case, identified asAX7N12B@eforward.usps.gov. Mapping record (1907) contains both the oldand new e-mail service providers along with any resolution requirementsthat would be needed to provide information from one to the other.

Old e-mail service provider (1908), here ISP1, is the e-mail serviceprovider at the e-mail address from which the customer is moving. USPSe-mail forwarding service (1909) has an exemplary address ofeforward.usps.gov. This service may include multiple databases populatedby subscribing e-mail services, in this case ISP1 and others. Bysubscribing to this service, e-mail services participate in a trustedthird party forwarding service as a value added service to their e-mailcustomers. The subscribing e-mail services may participate to ensurethat, when a customer signs on with them, as a value added feature thecustomer would not experience any disruption of service for a certainperiod of time should she choose to change services. The new e-mailservice provider (1910), here ISP2, is the service provider that thecustomer Erika is moving to. Doug (1912) is another customer sending ane-mail message to Erika at her old e-mail address with ISP1.

In FIG. 19, stage 1 shows Erika, the customer, arriving at the ICOA siteand providing the information to create the electronic records thatreflect her e-mail change of address and additional support records thatare needed, as described above. Stage 2 shows the ICOA server providingthe basic information to the value added notification services. Thevalue added new address notification services offer the customer valueadded new address notification services associated with an e-mail changeof address, as described above. Stage 3 shows the ICOA server forwardingthe deflector record to the old ISP1 where the information may be storedin a deflector directory at ISP1's site per a separate agreement betweenISP1 and USPS. Stage 4 shows the ICOA server providing the mappingrecord information to the USPS e-mail forwarding service site.

At this point the ICOA system has updated the change of addressinformation. Thus, when Doug attempts to send e-mail to Erika at ISP1(stage 5), where she no longer has an account, the deflector directory(1911) re-routes the e-mail to USPS e-mail forwarding service (1909)(stage 6). There, the e-mail is processed to incorporate whateverresolution requirements there may be between ISP1 and ISP2. As shown instage 7, the message is then routed on to ISP2, which is where Erikadesires to receive e-mail.

The forwarding activity that occurs in stage 7, between e-mailforwarding service (1909) and ISP2 (1910) certainly may include anye-mail processing techniques known in the art. For example, thisforwarding activity may include USPS electronic postmark to indicatewhen this activity took place. The forwarded message also may beencrypted in transit over a secure or non-secure connection, dependingon the desired security requirements. Further, the message may beforwarded using various levels of services (such as the USPS electronicpostmark or possible encryption), which are selected by the customerwhen filing the change of address request.

Although FIG. 19 represents the old and new e-mail service providersISP1 and ISP2, which denote Internet Service Providers (ISPs), thesystem is not limited to ISPs. The system may encompass any e-mailservice provider on the network. The e-mail change of address feature ispart of the ICOA change of address concept. The e-mail forwardingservice would be one of the value added' services that could be enabledby the USPS. The USPS, with its trusted third party status, could offere-mail forwarding between ISPs who do not want to share their customerdatabases with one another and who wish to offer their customers amuch-desired service to avoid disruption of the e-mail service when theychange e-mail addresses. The provision of deflector records would beISP-specific so as to keep the specific number of their customerschanging from their service confidential from their competitors.

FIGS. 20A and 20B are block diagrams illustrating a change of e-mailaddress system, consistent with an alternative embodiment of the presentinvention. Rather than being solely a Postal Service function, thechange of address system according to the alternative embodiment createslicensed agents to operate an ICOA-type system on behalf of the USPS.The change of address system provides the same basic functionalitydescribed earlier. The system also provides the change of addressinformation to the Postal Service based on Postal Service specificrequirements. Multiple entities may provide this service, either inaddition to the Postal Service operating its own site (as shown in FIG.20A) or without the Postal Service operating its own ICOA site (as shownin FIG. 20B) and leaving it entirely to the field of licensed agents tooffer the service directly over the Internet. The change of addressinformation may be provided under a license agreement executed by thePostal Service with the agent(s).

In FIG. 20A, the change of address system includes USPS ICOA server(2006), a postal patron (2001), network (2002), licensed agent site(2003), another postal patron (2007), another licensed agent site(2008), consolidation process (2005), value added services (2004), andother value added services (2009). ICOA server (2006) is the same serverpreviously described in this application. Postal patron (2001) arrivesvia a network 1902 to ICOA licensed agent site, licensee 1, (2003) whereICOA information, is provided and ID validation takes place. Thelicensee may offer a different set or the same set of value addedservices (2004) that are being offered by the ICOA site. The licenseemay also link the customer to USPS value added services (2010) as apotential part of the license. The licensee sends the COA information toconsolidation process (2005) where the information is forwarded to theUSPS ICOA server (2006) in the proper format.

Various ICOA licensed agents may be used in the embodiment shown in FIG.20A. For example, another postal patron (2007) may arrive at another anddifferent ICOA licensed agent N (2008) via a network. Licensee N (2008)may collect ICOA information, provide ID validation, and provide ICOAinformation to the USPS-controlled consolidation process. Licensee N(2008) may offer a different array of value added services, value addedservices N (2009). Similarly, licensee N may also link into the USPSICOA value added services.

In FIG. 20B, the change of address system includes a postal patron(2001), network (2002), licensed agent site (2003); another postalpatron (2007), another licensed agent site (2008), consolidation process(2005), value added services (2004), other value added services (2009),and USPS national customer service center (NCSC) (2006B). NCSC (2006B)is the same national customer service center described earlier. The ICOAsystem of FIG. 20B differs from FIG. 20A in that the USPS does not runits own ICOA system. Therefore, the USPS does not run its own valueadded services and does not have an ICOA server. Accordingly, licensees,here licensee 1 (2003) and licensee. N (2008) do not link the customerto any USPS value added services. Similarly, consolidation process(2005) sends the COA information to the USPS NCSC (2006B) (rather thanthe ICOA server) in the proper format.

FIG. 21 is a block diagram illustrating the different sub-processeswithin the consolidation process shown in FIGS. 20A and 205. Asindicated in FIG. 21, consolidation process (2005) may include dataformat specifications and flagging conventions (2101), quality control(2102) and duplicate error detection system (2103). Licensed agents mayprovide data format specifications and flagging conventions (2101) intothe consolidation process. The consolidation process may use thespecifications and conventions to ensure that the data agrees with theUSPS ICOA format requirements. Consolidation process (2005) also mayperform a wide variety of quality control processes on the data toensure that it is complete and correct. Quality control (2102) candetermine whether the data has errors that computer software QCprocesses or random manual inspection of the data can detect.

Another function that could be provided by the consolidation processwould be a duplicate error detection (DED) system (2103) to checkwhether the customer has filed a change of address form at multiplelicense sites. DED system constructs duplicate error detection files(2104) for each licensee and compares the files to each other. DED mayalso compare the duplicate files to the output data from the USPS ICOAserver (2106), if one is provided, and to the data provided from thetraditional hard copy 3575 data stream (2107) that exists today. DEDsystem may compare the files for a finite period of time X, where X isany number of days (e.g., 15, 20, 30, 60). The consolidation processonly forwards COA information that has not been duplicated in a masterDED file (2105), thereby saving the Postal Service internal systems agreat deal of difficulty for Postal Service internal systems incorrecting these errors.

Other embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled inthe art from consideration of the specification and practice of theinvention disclosed herein. It is intended that the specification andexamples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope and spiritof the invention being indicated by the following claims.

1-48. (canceled)
 49. A method for providing an electronic change ofaddress service from an old address of a customer to a new address ofthe customer, comprising: receiving, with at least one computer, changeof address information from the customer via a network; processing, withthe at least one computer, the change of address informationelectronically to enable the customer to receive mail addressed to theold address of the customer at the new address of the customer; andproviding, with the at least one computer, an e-mail forwarding servicefor forwarding e-mail addressed to the old address of the customer tothe new address, comprising: creating, with the at least one computer, adeflector record containing an address of an old e-mail serviceprovider, which provides e-mail service to the customer at the oldaddress, and an address at the forwarding service; sending, with the atleast one computer, the deflector record to the old e-mail serviceprovider for transferring the e-mail from the old e-mail serviceprovider to the forwarding service; receiving the e-mail at theforwarding service from the old service provider; and re-routing thee-mail to the new e-mail address, 50-108. (canceled)
 109. A system forproviding an electronic change of address service from an old address ofa customer to a new address of the customer, comprising: a change ofaddress receiving component configured to receive change of addressinformation from the customer via a network; a change of addressprocessor configured to process the change of address informationelectronically to enable the customer to receive mail addressed to theold address of the customer at the new address of the customer; and ane-mail forwarding component configured to forward e-mail addressed tothe old address of the customer to the new address, comprising adeflector record containing an address of an old e-mail serviceprovider, which provides e-mail service to the customer at the oldaddress, and an address at the forwarding service; a deflector recordsending component for sending the deflector record to the old e-mailservice provider for transferring the e-mail from the old e-mail serviceprovider to the forwarding service; an e-mail receiving componentconfigured to receive the e-mail at the forwarding service from the oldservice provider; and a router configured to re-route the e-mail to thenew e-mail address. 110-170. (canceled)
 171. A computer program productembodied in a non-transitory computer-readable medium which, whenexecuted by a computer, causes the computer to perform a method forproviding an electronic change of address service from an old address ofa customer to a new address of the customer, the method comprising:receiving change of address information from the customer via a network;processing the change of address information electronically to enablethe customer to receive mail addressed to the old address of thecustomer at the new address of the customer; and providing an e-mailforwarding service for forwarding e-mail addressed to the old address ofthe customer to the new address, comprising creating a deflector recordcontaining an address of an old e-mail service provider, which providese-mail service to the customer at the old address, and an address at theforwarding service; sending the deflector record to the old e-mailservice provider for transferring the e-mail from the old e-mail serviceprovider to the forwarding service; receiving the e-mail at theforwarding service from the old service provider; and re-routing thee-mail to the new e-mail address. 172-184. (canceled)
 185. The methodaccording to claim 49, further comprising: receiving credit cardinformation from the first customer over the network; and verifying anidentity of the first customer, wherein verifying comprises: determiningwhether the credit card information matches fraudulent credit cardinformation stored in a fraud database, receiving credit cardverification information from a third party credit card verifierindicating whether the credit card information matches collected addressinformation for the first customer stored in an address database, andverifying the identity when there is no match with the fraudulent creditcard information, and the credit card verification information indicatesthe credit card information matches the collected address information.186. The method according to claim 49, further comprising establishing adirectory of deflector records at the old service provider.
 187. Themethod according to claim 49, further comprising providing at least onevalue-added service to the first customer, including: displaying, to thefirst customer over the network, a value-added services menu listing aplurality of value-added services to assist the first customer inchanging from the first old address to the first new address; receiving,from the first customer over the network, a selection of at least one ofthe plurality of value-added services from the menu; and facilitatingproviding the selected value-added service to the first customer. 188.The method according to claim 187, wherein the plurality of value-addedservices includes at least one of: a Postal serviceaccount-establishment service, a household service, a moving service, anelectronic tool service, a purchasing service, a financial service, areferral service, and an address change service.
 189. The methodaccording to claim 49, further comprising: updating a second customerwho has changed an address from a second old address to a second newaddress comprising: receiving a request from the first customer tocontact the second customer, wherein the request includes the second oldaddress of the second customer; determining the second new address forthe second customer using a database storing change-of-addressinformation including the second old address and the second new address;and providing the first new address of the first customer to the secondcustomer at the second new address.
 190. The system according to claim109, wherein the change-of-address receiving component is furtherconfigured to receive credit card information, and wherein the systemfurther comprises: a verification component configured to verify anidentity of the first customer, wherein the verifying comprises:determining whether the credit card information matches fraudulentcredit card information stored in a fraud database; receiving creditcard verification information from a third party credit card verifierindicating whether the credit card information matches collected addressinformation for the first customer stored in an address database; andverifying the identity when there is no match with the fraudulent creditcard information, and the credit card verification information indicatesthe credit card information matches the collected address information.191. The system according to claim 109, wherein the forwarding serviceincludes a deflector directory for storing the deflector record. 192.The system according to claim 109, a service component for providing anadditional service to the first customer, the service component beingconfigured to: display, to the first customer over the network, avalue-added services menu listing a plurality of value-added services toassist the first customer in changing from the first old address to thefirst new address; receive, from the first customer over the network, aselection of one of the plurality of value-added services from the menu;and facilitate the provision of the selected value-added service. 193.The system according to claim 192, wherein the plurality of value-addedservices includes at least one of: a Postal serviceaccount-establishment service, a household service, a moving service, anelectronic tool service, a purchasing service, a financial service, areferral service, and an address change service.
 194. The systemaccording to claim 109, further comprising: a contact establishmentcomponent for contacting a second customer who has changed an addressfrom a second old address to a second new address comprising: a contactrequest receiving component for receiving a request from the firstcustomer to contact the second customer, wherein the request includesthe second old address of the second customer; a determining componentfor determining the second new address for the second customer using adatabase storing change-of-address information including the second oldaddress and the second new address; and a notifying component forproviding the first new address of the first customer to the secondcustomer at the second new address.
 195. The computer program productaccording to claim 171, wherein the method further comprises: receivingcredit card information from the first customer over the network; andverifying an identity of the first customer, wherein verifyingcomprises: determining whether the credit card information matchesfraudulent credit card information stored in a fraud database, receivingcredit card verification information from a third party credit cardverifier indicating whether the credit card information matchescollected address information for the first customer stored in anaddress database, and verifying the identity when there is no match withthe fraudulent credit card information, and the credit card verificationinformation indicates the credit card information matches the collectedaddress information.
 196. The computer program product according toclaim 171, wherein the method further comprises: establishing adirectory of deflector records at the old service provider.
 197. Thecomputer program product according to claim 171 wherein the methodfurther comprises providing at least one value-added service to thefirst customer, including: displaying, to the first customer over thenetwork, a value-added services menu listing a plurality of value-addedservices to assist the first customer in changing from the first oldaddress to the first new address; receiving, from the first customerover the network, a selection of at least one of the plurality ofvalue-added services from the menu; and facilitating providing theselected value-added service to the first customer.
 198. The computerprogram product according to claim 197, wherein the plurality ofvalue-added services includes at least one of: a Postal serviceaccount-establishment service, a household service, a moving service, anelectronic tool service, a purchasing service, a financial service, areferral service, and an address change service,
 199. The computerprogram product according to claim 171, wherein the method furthercomprises: updating a second customer who has changed an address from asecond old address to a second new address comprising: receiving arequest from the first customer to contact the second customer, whereinthe request includes the second old address of the second customer;determining the second new address for the second customer using adatabase storing change-of-address information including the second oldaddress and the second new address; and providing the first new addressof the first customer to the second customer at the second new address.